Tag: flash

Sometimes you just need issues like this. No crazy arcs, no over-arching stories and hints. Just a single issue, with little to no dialog, some incredible art, and a frantic foot chase between the Joker and Batman through Gotham. Brutality reigning supreme as the two try to one-up each other, and take the other down. This was a gorgeous issue that really eased up on the tension in favor of just telling a good, simple story.

These future designs for the Justice League are incredible, with particular focus on Superman and Flash. Even Wonder Woman has a kick-ass future design, and it’s great. In fact, this future is clearly too good to be true. Some insane form of deceit from Mxylptlk to be sure, but how is the more important question here. I absolutely cannot wait for the next issue of this. Batman sees through the veil, not trusting what he’s seeing, and J’onn and Kendra have had thir eyes opened to the truth. But what is the truth?

Naomi is full of some crazy twists and turns, with her small town seeming more and more like a small refugee camp for aliens than anything. Dee the mechanic is a Thanagarian, her parents are both aliens from another world, and what does that make her? Her connection to Superman implies Kryptonian, but that just seems like such a reach. So many mysteries, with such loving and fantastic characters are really making this book great.

After years and years of build-up, it’s finally here! The War of the Realms is upon us, and every God across the realms will be sucked into the largest conflict that Yggdrasil will ever see. Jane Foster is in complete remission, opening the door for her return, and Thor has finally come to terms with the loss of Mjolnir, tossing his last remaining piece into the sun, to return it to the rest of its remains. The Earth’s heroes are ready to fight one hell of a war, and I’m certainly ready to read it.

It seems the last remnants of the old DC Extended Universe haven’t quite finished the series yet. According to The Hollywood Reporter, star Ezra Miller (Justice League) has been clashing with writer/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Spider-Man: Homecoming) over their creative vision for The Flash solo film. Daley and Goldstein are opting for a lighter tone, while Miller wants a darker run at the character. To appease the star, Warner Bros. has hired Miller and superstar scribe Grant Morrison to re-write the script.

While this move is puzzling, having Morrison attached lends some credibility to the duo. DC Entertainment has had considerably more success with its lighter films, as both Wonder Woman and Aquaman, lighter in tone, went on to be box office smashes. Meanwhile, the darker Justice League’s entire box office run was topped by Avengers: Infinity War in a single weekend. Those kind of numbers don’t bode well for the future of gritty, dark superhero films.

Jonathan Kent is most certainly worthy of whatever title of hero he wants up to this point. The hell that Ultraman put him through, and his subsequent escape and survival both show how much he’s grown, and learned to do what’s necessary to stay alive. All while still keeping the strong heart that his parents have nurtured all these years. I’ll miss fun-loving Jonathan Kent, which I never thought I would say about a kid-hero not named Impulse. But teenage Jonathan Kent has proven he’s more than worthy.

We all knew what was coming. It’s been building to it this entire time, with Carter Hall’s previous reincarnations becoming an army of Hawkman to stop the Deathbringers. With that in mind, it was still really cool to see it. This arc has been a great way to retcon Hawkman and modernize him for a new audience. I only hope they keep going, and keep pushing the adventure side of it all. Hawkman as an explorer is far more interesting than Hawkman as a superhero.

This served as a nice refresher for James Jesse, the original Trickster, some details here and there to fit the new narrative of his character. It was clearly meant for newer fans that have come in from the series, but it was a solid issue nonetheless. It established Trickster as a threat to Central City, setting him up for the biggest con of all time as he manipulates The Flash and his many allies, clearly being one step ahead of them all throughout.

The Lords of Order have shown themselves in full, with their true power about to wipe out the entire realm of Myrra. Meanwhile, the previous Doctor Fate has shown himself to be an ally of the Justice League. Unfortunately, the team’s two heavy hitters, Wonder Woman and Zatanna are off on their own dangerous adventure searching for Mordru and Circe, who seems to have her own agenda. She clearly knows something that everyone else doesn’t Perhaps she’s the one behind this? Then there was the off-hand comment about Zatanna’s Father. Is Zatara the true mastermind? So many questions!

Even the Titans have been catapulted into the real world, with two of the most ancient and powerful beings to ever grace the summit of Olympus just hanging out in the Rocky Mountains. Something tells me our furry friends that we’ve been following are a little more than just an audience perspective. Could they be attracting this danger somehow? Something is starting to seem quite off, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it could be. There are just too many factors at play here to really know where this story is heading.

The ramifications of this issue are massive. Now comes the question… is Doomsday Clock canon? Or just a side-story? Either way, Firestorm was created by the government, as well as Rex Mason, and even Kirk Langstrom, aka Man-Bat. Not to mention the entire Justiec League was defeated by Doctor Manhattan fairly easily. Though they got in some good hits, his abilities just proved too much. Only Ozymandias knows the true secrets behind his abilities, but Batman seems to know more than he lets on, thanks to the journal of Rorschach. This book is moving slowly, but it’s starting to ramp up finally.

It’s been so long since we’ve seen The Question, that just seeing him in this issue elevates it. Couple that with his interrogation of Selina in regards to her leaving Bruce and you have some fantastic tension. Particularly with him getting her to admit she lied about the note. But how did she lie? She did truly believe she would him back, and that the world needs him. So, what’s different? Does this have anything to do with Bane’s massive plan that involves the Bat’s entire Rogue’s gallery?

This was a fantastic, light-hearted issue of Justice League with a strong story at its core, that quickly became more and more serious. The introduction of the Future Superman was perfectly executed, but something seemed off about him. Now, thanks to the shocking end of this issue we know that something was off. Was Mxylptlk messing with him? Was it a trap for Superman all along? Or did someone intervene? How will he escape a trap… an entire galaxy of a trap, made specifically for him?

This was probably the best issue yet of Grant Morrison’s crazy run on Green Lantern. Jordan infiltrating the Blackstars, and choosing the name Blackstar Parallax for his “reborn life” was chill-inducing. Now, Adam Strange is in the mix as DC’s space-faring adventurers slowly start to fill out the pages of this ever-growing story. The earlier issues were a bit ridiculous, but Morrison’s found a groove, now, and it’s firing on all cylinders for this newest arc.

They managed to pack a lot of good stuff in this issue! Not only did we get a heartfelt reunion between Conner Kent and Bart Allen, two heroes that have been sorely missed since the beginning of Rebirth and beyond, but we even learned how Conner got to GemWorld in the first place. Not to mention he has a beard, and a wife and son! Conner has a son! Does that make Superman and Lex a Grandfather of sorts? I would love to see the look on Clark’s face when he learns that Conner has a family. He’ll most certainly be proud.

The CW and Warner Bros. Television has announced that Arrow, the series that started the revolution of comic book television, and Greg Berlanti’s empire, will be ending its run next fall with its eighth season. The final season will run for an abbreviated ten episodes.

The cast and crew of the series have been taking to Twitter and Facebook since the news with overwhelming words of praise and gratitude. With its flagship show ending, where does this leave the CW’s DC Multiverse at? Will a new series step up in its place?

This entire time, this arc that has been an insane roller coaster of recollection and remembrance for Bruce’s upbringing and road to Batman… was a simulation. Created by Bruce to kill himself, every year on his birthday, he uses it to hone his skills and evolve. Getting better each and every year. That’s a level of dedication that I didn’t think Batman was capable of, but yet again he has shown why he’s the baddest dude in the DC Universe. The ending, with Batman’s goal of Absolute Zero becoming known gave me goosebumps, and the Epilogue was charming. Fantastic end to a fantastic arc.

This was such an incredibly masterful setup for the future of the DC Universe. So many of DC’s biggest stories have centered around the relationship between the Batman and The Flash, because the chemistry there is so real that they just make a great team. With the events of Heroes in Crisis becoming a focal point, as that mystery deepens and the big event for the year starts to unfold, The Year of the Villain, expect things to start to ramp up with mysteries and twists all over the place.

So, first off, all this time Amanda Waller has known the identity of Superman. That’s quite a crazy thing to think of, but she does understand his importance, as well as just how powerful he is. Not to mention calling down the wrath of the Justice League isn’t sometime she would like to do. But the threat of Leviathan, which seems to grow each and every week has forced her hand. Now, Sam Lam is possibly dead, just days after learning the truth about Superman and possibly re-thinking his stance. Attack after attack is happening, and things are getting pretty crazy, now.

Sneaky sneaky Honor Guest, manipulating Talia and playing along with her charade. It’s a clever plan, but she needs to make sure she plays it just right. Talia is wildly intelligent, and twice as dangerous. Add on the tech that her family discovered in the backyard, what looks like a laser shield of sorts and you have quite a predicament on her hands. The closer they get to the truth, the more danger they’ll be in with Leviathan as they become more and more of a threat across the DC Universe proper.

The pace of this issue seemed incredibly slow, but it was still yet another fun throwback to the days of comic books old. Mr. Terrific discovering his wife alive on another Earth, with the exact same circumstances as himself was quite the lucky break. I just hope that this ends up being a bit of a happy ending for the team. With that being said, I’m ready for the team to move on from Doc Dread and his Dreadfuls. That villain seems to have made his mark, and I would love for the team to take on some new threats.

This book really pulls no punches. Bringing out the darkest and dirtiest the world has to offer to show how truly terrible that future could have been. Thankfully, the Freedom Fighters seem like a competent team, prepared for many contingencies when it comes to their enemy. The evil German Plastic Man is still the most horrifying thing ever, and he just seems to get more and more creepy. I can only imagine how creepy he’ll be when he starts fighting again.

It was pretty obvious that King Kid had some tricks up his sleeve, but I wasn’t exactly exepcting it all to rush to the surface as soon as he saw them as Champions, turning into adults. The Seven Lands are of course still mysterious, but it seems we’re going to learn more about them pretty quickly given the next issue. I honestly wish we would have seen more on Mr. Mind and Doctor Sivana in this issue, though, as that cliffhanger last month was fantastic.

Doom’s trick was finally revealed… at least part of it. He plans to harness the power of Galactus as an endless energy source. That’s a bit old school of an idea for a villain like Doom to concoct, leading me to believe there’s a little more at play here. The confusion that Reed had on his face when Victor revealed the “Good Galactus” and Johnny and Ben backed him up was pretty priceless. I would certainly like more moments like that in upcoming issues of this Fantastic Four revival.

A slow-paced, emotional issue based around the caveman Gnarkk and Harley Quinn, finally give us a better idea of what happened here. Harley broke into Sanctuary to help Poison Ivy, and get help from Ivy. They’re friends, and lovers, that’s what they do. Meanwhile, Booster Gold, who has been on a considerable decline in the last two years, has finally snapped, and laid waste to everyone there. But, there’s still the mystery as to why this Wally was older than he should have been. Still, there are questions unanswered.

I’m starting to get fairly bored with this story, as it’s pretty convoluted and a bit ridiculous. Even for comic books. But, seeing them address the events of Justice League, with the Source Wall being torn down, and all of the New Gods being killed was certainly worth it. Darkseid was protected in the Ghost Sector, but how much longer can he keep the danger away?

That lawsuit business sure seemed to last a long time, didn’t it? That strangeness aside, it makes perfect sense and reassures the character of Veronica Cale that through all of this, all she wants is her daughter back. She spent years attempting to save her daughter, and when she finally does, she has to leave her behind in Themyscira. Now, with Themyscira destroyed through the paradox of Ares’ death, she’s lost, alongside the other inhabitants of the Amazon homeland. With the help of Aphrodite, Diana starts a new quest, and a fascinating new arc that could have some big repercussions in the future.

Gotham Girl’s story is so tragic, simply because of how much her and her brother have been used, abused, and tossed aside like trash. Left to suffer and fizzle out from their powers, or become corrupted infinitely by them. All she wants is her brother back, and to be a hero alongside them. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, she’s still a child and doesn’t see the cost that being a hero really holds. Who’s manipulating her is the real question, but all signs point to Bane as we continue down the rabbit hole of Tom King’s 100-issue arc.

I wasn’t expecting Brainiac and Lex Luthor to essentially be joined on a spiritual level to unleash Perpetua on the universe. I was expecting the usual villain betrayal, but that’s not exactly what Scott Snyder is about is it? This incredible retcon of the past of Lionel Luthor and his working with Vandal Savage before having his memories erased is so flawless that it fits like a puzzle piece in a blank space that we never knew we needed. It effortlessly gives Lex Luthor a grandiose history that takes him from hyper-intelligent mastermind, to destined villain. Fantastic.

That ending was the most ridiculous, comic book thing I have ever seen and was not something I ever expected. This arc has been long and twisting, recalling many of the most important people throughout the life and career of Bruce Wayne and Batman. It’s been a perfect way to explore the past of Detective Comics, the book that started it at all as we approach the 1,000th issue. But to ask if I ever saw the evil kid-Bruce thing coming? No, that one was a little far out of left field for me. But kudos to the creative team here for sticking to their guns to create a memorable, and original story.

When the Deathbringers arrived, I expected them to just be those three giant robots. Then thousands of Hawkmen flew out and started destroying London, and the stakes suddenly seemed exceptionally high in the book. It’s obvious that Xanadu is going to figure out how to bring all of Carter Hall’s past lives back, including Ktar, the leader of the Deathbringers, who will prove indispensable in defeating them for the final time. My only wonder if where Hawkman will go after this? I truly hope that it stays an adventure book in the vein of Indiana Jones. That’s where he seems most comfortable.

Doctor Fate has gone sufficiently crazy, and become the evil threat to all of reality that he has always been set up to be. Who are these mysterious Lords of Order that he seems to have aligned himself with? We’ll find out soon, I’m sure. But meanwhile, the magical community is in pieces, with the remaining refugees thinking they had escaped to a separate dimension only to find out the worse had been yet to arrive. The Otherkind are a terrifying villain, but to find out that they’re mere pawns for a larger game is insane. Lastly, kudos to Man-Bat for scientifically working out magic to help save the day in a way, with the mysterious boy from earlier in the series, who seems like he will prove invaluable in the fight.

Jonathan Kent had one hell of an adventure, that’s for sure. Being ripped through a black hole to encounter the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3… as an eleven year old? Not high on the list of things I would enjoy doing. But, the well-timed arrival of Mongul, just so Superman had someone to take his frustrations out on was perfect. Mongul hasn’t truly been a threat in quite some time, particularly against a powered-up, frustrated Clark Kent. Superman’s frustration over missing his son growing up, especially someone who is so family-first the way he was raised. That has to be nearly impossible to deal with as a parent.

An issue that focuses on the plight of Odin, just a few short months before the War of the Realms begins, was one of the most necessary things to have. While he’s completely unable to show it, because of his misplaced pride and narcicissm, Odin truly loves his children, and regrets the way fate has treated him and his family. Despite all of that regret, he’s unable to do anything to fix it, and the internal struggle that rages on inside him is the focus here, rightfully so. Another deeply personal issue of Thor, moments before the biggest event Marvel has had in years, begins. Well played.

Is it possible that Gotham Girl was behind the attacks on Sanctuary? The attack that took the life of Wally West? Or at least a Wally West. We’re still unsure how that twist works, to be honest. It’s not likely that Claire is behind that attack, as we’ll certainly learn the perpetrator in the pages of Heroes in Crisis. But, this new development is certainly interesting. The chemistry between Batman and Flash is some of the best in comics because of how different they are as heroes, yet just how similar they are as people.

Justice League has consistently been the best written comic since its debut, and all this issue did was set it further apart from the rest of the pack, with yet another fantastic retcon on the history of the Martian Manhunter. J’onn J’onnz is one of the bigger mysteries still left in the DC Universe, as his origin is still so simplistic and yet to be explored fully. The inclusion of Lex Luthor as a childhood friend with latent psychic abilities is certainly an interesting, and also sets the stage for Lex to turn his back on the Legion of Doom that he created as his elaborate plan begins to spin wildly out of control.

When Batman and Flash crossover, some of the best stories seem to happen organically, and this is certainly no different. Calling back to Batman’s very first Rebirth story, Gotham Girl has returned and she’s randomly attacking places that will bring various heroes into the fold. Particularly, Batman and The Flash. What she plans to do with them is still a mystery, but we know she’s attempting to revive her Brother, who seems to be hooked up to Bane’s Venom. Another clue as to who could be behind all of this?

A long, in-depth read about the time when Clark Kent first arrived in Metropolis. There have been numerous re-tellings of this same story, over and over again, and all of them are almost the same, but just like every other origin being re-told in comic book form, it just never gets old, and I’ll never pin-point why that is. While this book is certainly not required reading, it’s worth the time to check out if you’re a fan of Superman.

I don’t think I’ll ever get past how perfectly suited for the Green Lantern Grant Morrison’s writing is. It’s so bizarre, and the characters he concocts are beyond belief, as many alien species should be. It’s just confusing and bizarre enough to feel alien while you’re reading it, but things slowly pull themselves back together each and every time. While I thought that Morrison’s Lantern would be more of a mini-series, these smaller arcs support a longer run than expected, and I’m certainly ready for that.

Little by little, DC is exploring the annals and history of Darkseid and Apokolips more and more. We’re learning of its past, and the events leading up to Darkseid’s initial rise to power, while exploring his dynamics with the right hands that have ensured he stay at the top. Granny Goodness and her Female Furis have always been one of the more interesting side characters for the New Gods, and the exploration here was great. With that said, it’s a shame that sexism exists on a desolate planet like Apokolips, as well, with the Furies unknowingly taking part in a show of “female grace” for the detestable villains. I hope that they get what’s coming to them in this series, because it will be satisfying.

This moved at the strangest pace, and seems like it’s going to continue that way for a while. Despite having an all-star lineup of young heroes, they’re just sort of… coming together. By fate, or destiny perhaps, but it’s been this random series of events, bringing this random group of heroes together, and it seems weird and difficult to read in some strange way. Additionally, I love Teen Lantern, and really missed Impulse not being in this issue, as he is an absurd amount of fun in all of the books he is in. I hope he gets a solo book, soon.

Lois Lane telling her Father, Sam Lane, one of Superman’s biggest opponents since his introduction about his secret identity is insane. I’m sure she wasn’t expecting it to go down that way, but it did, and she’ll eventually have to deal with the repercussions. The real crazy thing in this issue is the mysterious blue explosions wiping out groups of heroes and villains alike. The most interesting thing is that these explosions look near-perpetrated by the same energy as Dr. Manhattan. Has Leviathan learned something? Man, so many crazy mysteries!

The lead-up to the Flash Annual, and the climax of the Force Quest, we now know the truth. Barry was never meant to work with the other Force users. They have always been destined to clash, which explains why they just seem to naturally disagree in so many different ways. Not to mention, Hunter Zolomon has already escaped from Hypertime, and revealed to be the murderer behind Gorilla City. Lots of questions answered in this issue!

A heartbreaking issue, capped off by the Flash Family finally dealing with the sudden loss of Wally West at Sanctuary. It happened months ago, but with The Flash off on his Force Quest, there was never any chance for them to address it, but now it’s finally happened. But with the loss of one speedster, comes the arrival of another, as Bart Allen, aka Impulse has escaped the Speed Force! The best speedster, not seen in years has finally returned, and I could not be more excited.

Holy crap. It all comes down to this. After being weakened by the events of Dark Knights: Metal, the Source Wall has been destroyed, and the creator of the Multiverse, and mother of The Monitor and Anti-Monitor, Perpetua, has been released. We’re rocketing toward one of the biggest comic book events in history, as decades of stories converge onto this single point, and it’s beautiful.

Finally! The Secret Origin of The Silencer! This was one of the most important things that we still needed for Honor Guest’s character arc, and now that we have it, I can’t say I’m disappointed. Honor is a metahuman that was stolen from the League by Talia to see her own ambitions through. Used from the very beginning. Now as Talia attempts to wipe her family’s memory from existence, she thinks she the Silencer under control… I’m not no sure.

The escape act with Miracle Man was awesome, and yet another highlight in this incredible arc leading up to the 1,000th issue of Detective Comics. Given the unique characteristics of the creature that’s been chasing Batman, my guess was Clayface in a beautiful and tragic twist of character that would use the recent history of Detective Comics against it, but with Batman attacking Hugo Strange, it would seem maybe I wasn’t quite accurate. It’s still very possible, though. We’ll find out as we approach the penultimate issue.

A massive piece of the puzzle is now in our possession. Wally West at Sanctuary is too old to be the Wally West we know. That still seems like quite a mystery, but it strangely makes sense in a way that only comic books can. Ted Kord, aka Blue Beetle, trusts Booster Gold, and Batgirl trusts Harley Quinn. Both have collided, but now where do they go from here? This was a beautiful issue, using the speech by Superman as its backbone, and it was gut-wrenching, and real, and everything that comics have really never been, but always needed to be. Absolutely beautiful.

Darkseid being in the Ghost Sector at the time saved him from the inevitable as the New Gods were all obliterated by Perpetua, as well as Apokolips and New Genesis. But, Darkseid is… ever the planner, as he hopes to reshape the planet in the Ghost Sector into a new, even more powerful Apokolips to use as a crazy war machine. Insanely enough, the Coluans knew that, and bottled all those planets to stop Darkseid! That’s some insanely good retconning.

This was exactly what it needed to be, and it was great. A fun anthology of short stories that spotlight the ups and downs of love and its many nuances. The Superman story especially was fantastic, telling yet another story about how Clark Kent is the hero, and Superman is the mask. My only issue with this was the way they drew Hawkgirl in her Galentine’s Day story, which was not accurate, of course. Hopefully someone catches that next time.

Plastic Man’s son has every right to be mad at him, but I really would have loved to hear more about his explanation for being stuck as an egg. Rex Mason is Metamorpho again, and it seems that every issue Doc Dread is allowed to be a villain, he gets more villainous. Big surprise there, but it’s nice to not have him being some comical throwback to the inept villains of old. Now The Terrifics are getting back together, and my favorite Super-Team is whole again!

This was a much-needed, fun and lighthearted issue that helped introduce some new characters, with a fresh love story of mythological creatures at its heart. It also introduced a random new human ally for Diana, and even set up the story for the future with Veronica Cale, the largest antagonist for Wonder Woman since Rebirth began, in possession of one of the apparently many Gods that have landed on Earth.

After her introduction in the Elseworlds crossover between The Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl on The CW, the pilot for Batwoman has started its casting process with the first big reveals for the series that give us a great idea of what to expect. Joining Ruby Rose as Kate Kane will be Meagan Tandy (Teen Wolf), Camrus Johnson (Luke Cage) and Nicole Kang (You).

Meagan Tandy is set to play Sophie Moore, one of Kate’s first loves in the comics, she is described as “a high-level private security agent and one of Gotham’s staunchest protectors. Despite her bite and regimented outlook, Sophie has a soft side, illuminated by Kate Kane’s return.”

Camrus Johnson, meanwhile, has been cast as Luke Fox, the son of Batman ally Lucius Fox that suits-up as Batwing in the comics. Luke “considers himself the guardian of all things Batman — specifically his symbol — he also recognizes the city’s need for a new hero.”

Lastly, Nicole Kang will portray Kate’s step sister Mary Hamilton. “Excitable, talkative, and an influencer-in-the-making, what Mary lacks in a filter she makes up for with her compassion for Gotham’s underserved communities, proving she has more in common with Kate than she thinks.”

A new villain! Or is she a hero? Victorious and her purpose is still up in the air, but she is most certainly a tool for one of Doctor Doom’s many schemes. This one saw her act as a lure for Galactus, most likely as some sort of display of power for Latveria, though he doesn’t exactly need it. It’s nice to see the team back in action together, though. It’s also much appreciated that they didn’t forget the history between Franklin Richards and Galactus, one of my favorite pairings from Marvel in many years.

This lead-up to Detective Comics #1000 is so fascinating. It’s such a strange mystery, with all of Batman’s past on display. His origin, being picked apart by a ruthless creature that knows his story as well as he, himself, knows it. It’s still unclear, but if I had to wager a guess, this is most likely a returning Clayface, who vanished to keep Cassandra safe after he was manipulated and turned into a weapon against Gotham City. Perhaps he blames Batman for all that’s happened to him? We’ll find out soon enough.

The Deathbringers have returned. But that’s the least important thing that happened this issue. Carter Hall slipped through time to a Krypton on the brink of destruction, meeting his past self, Catar-Ol, as he witnesses the death of his world. The realizations about Kal-El and Kara, and their past interactions with each other were beautiful in a way, connecting those characters in a way that feels fresh and new. One of the best things this book has done from the start is manipulate the past of the DC Universe in such effortless ways, and it’s fantastic.

That slight detour that Wonder Woman’s arc took us on has diverted back to the Otherkind, and it immediately picked up. The Otherkind are invading Earth and its realms at an alarming rate, taking root in the tales and whispered stories of the Magical World. Unknowingly, Man-Bat is helping spread the word, as he’s the odd man out in all of this. The rookie to the world of demons and evil… naive to its many nuances. The addition of S.H.A.D.E. and the numerous magical heroes and villains across the DC Universe is adding so much flavor to these books, and I love it.

As per usual, no one listened to Superman when the time was right, and now they’re all just realizing that, yes, Jor-El is a crazy person who has manipulated things for years in his own favor. I’m honestly a little sad about the Jonathan Kent time-skip thing because he was actually an endearing kid-hero, who was fun to read and actually believable in his wonder and amazement at everything. Hopefully the new Jonathan, albeit older and more serious is still a good read.

This was considerably better than the first issue, but only slightly. It took forever to get moving, and something about the story just doesn’t sit right with me. It feels off, and uninteresting for a Batman story. Even with The Batman Who Laughs, and The Grim Knight, two interesting parallel versions of Batman at its disposal, it uses them sparingly, going for spectacle and attempts at mystery. I’ll give it one more issue to wow me, and we’ll see what happens.

Gemini finally makes their move, manipulating Psych, who was manipulating Flash for Gemini. It sounds way more confusing than it really was. It’s interesting how these new Force Users are so adept at using their powers. They’re skilled in the way that Flash is skilled with the Speed Force, as if they’re meant to have these powers, and they’ve finally found their proper host. Now, in the next issue, it looks like we’ll get a full breakdown of the history of speed force, and these new forces themselves. That could change Flash comics forever, if it’s done well enough.

A bit of an anticlimactic ending to an otherwise fantastic arc, this did exactly what it needed to do. It put Ares down, while also putting him on a quest to find Athena and the other Gods, who seem to be scattered to the winds. Aphrodite is now with Diana, who seems lost in all the confusion of the Greek Pantheon ascending to the Earthly plain once again. I think that soon enough we’ll be heading back to Themyscira. With the Gods in the winds, perhaps the whole world will be heading to Themyscira soon enough?

Ever since its reveal in The Silencer, Leviathan has been revealed to be pulling the strings in the darkest parts of the DC Universe for years. Operating in shadows that the heroes didn’t even know existed, and manipulating weaknesses in their abilities and personalities for years. Now, they’re slowly starting to take control over several books, and becoming a legitimate threat to the world without anyone being any wiser. A slow burn villain is most certainly the best one, and with Red Cloud working with Leviathan, things should get much more interesting.
The countdown to Detective Comics #1000 has been absolutely phenomenal. A personal story that recalls the well-known origin of Batman in unique ways, as each and every person that Batman loves is picked apart, one by one. Pushing him further and further to the depths of his soul to grapple with his own humanity and past. This is storytelling at its best, and I know it should culminate into one hell of a thousandth issue.
This is such a unique and fantastic story. A murder mystery with a real message at its heart, that humanizes DC’s heroes in a way that they have never really explored. The mental health and psychological issues that comes with being a hero, and dealing with the loss and failure, and much more. It’s dramatic, with a genuine conflict that could legitimately affect the DC Universe moving forward. Real stakes for the heroes. It’s a wonderful change of pace.
This was a strangely paced issue. Flash and Fuerza defeated the Sage Force demons, and stopped Cauldron in Corto Maltese, meanwhile Commander Cold is making himself more comfortable in Central City, and their cases are starting to crossover with each other. It’s obvious that Trickster is behind the Sage Force weapon, but how does he know how to manipulate it? That’s definitely the big question.
There are a lot of mysteries at play here, and I’m starting to get a little worried that they may not pull together in the most cohesive way. At the very least, we know now that Darkseid is most certainly playing at something, finding Blackfire, Starfire’s Sister, in the ruins of Tamarand with a plan to manipulate the troubled worlds of the Ghost Sector. That should at least make this series more interesting.
I really wasn’t expecting this turn of events, as Leviathan continues to one-up every single hero and villain across the DC Universe with a skilled manipulation that comics hasn’t seen in ages. It’s incredible. But, now I wonder… Did she kill honor? Are there plans to revive her with the Lazarus Pit? What is Talia’s goal, right now? Lots of questions, and the more Leviathan stretches into other books, the more excited I get for each issue of The Silencer.
A solid, albeit slightly uneventful issue for Wonder Woman. Of course the children that she rescued belonged to the Prime Minister, naturally drawing her to him. Aphrodite in the fray throws quite a few things into question, and I still say it’s the result of the Otherkind from Justice League Dark destroying the home of the Gods. Though, it could be something more.
The Terrifics even get their own villain team! And it’s a crazy multiversal team! That’s awesome. Of course, the team would be miserable without each other at this point. The only friends they had were each other… now they’re forced to confront that fact. The Plastic Man interaction was certainly the most interesting, with Eel’s son, Luke, being introduced to the series, and his plastic abilities. I wonder if that will come into play in the near future?

That was one of the best annual issues that I’ve ever read. With its additional pages, this story took the time to flesh out the long-standing relationship between Alfred and Bruce. Of course, it’s nothing that hasn’t been touched upon before, but it’s always gut-wrenching to see how far Alfred is willing to go for Bruce. To keep him safe, and help him complete his goals.
Everything about the opening issue of this arc screams “incredible.” My first inkling is some sort of team-up with Batman’s rogues, between Hush, Joker, and maybe even more. The crime scene with the Wayne family lookalikes was eerie, and then the action ramped up with the attack on Leslie Tompkins. This was fantastic, and really got me excited for the countdown to Detective Comics #1000.
Tying in with Dark Knights: Metal in a way, this Hawkman adventure has fleshed out Carter Hall in a way I never would have imagined. Giving his reincarnation more purpose than we all thought was a great way to build upon his already classic character, and now the reveal of his past gave us answers to what he’s been searching for, for ages. Now we head to Krypton in the past, to meet yet another Hawkman. That’s awesome.
Justice League Dark has been a fantastic book up to this point, and this issue somehow raised the bar even higher. The Phantom Stranger battling Doctor Fate, Constantine trapped in Nabu’s helm, the search for the son of Jim Rook and Mordru, and even a story that involves Blue Devil! I haven’t seen Blue Devil in years! That was immense fun, and I can’t wait for more of the magical world in a few weeks.
The entire first half of this issue was incredibly beautiful. Superman’s resolve to avenge Kandor and the legacy of Krypton, coupled with his strategy to place Zod on his side… to tell him that Kandor was destroyed by Rogol Zaar. That’s what makes comics so damn amazing. Then you have the reveal of Jonathan Kent! Superboy is back! And he’s got a new costume that looks awesome! But where has he been? What has he done? Where is Jor-El? There are a lot of questions to be had here.
I was expecting something quite different from this, if I’m being honest. An out-of-canon story that doesn’t touch upon much of what’s happened isn’t exactly the most satisfying way to start a book this anticipated. Particularly after the latest issue of Justice League did a magnificent job of building the Joker as a legitimate threat to any hero or villain on any world. I’ll keep up with this in the hopes that it may get better, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Fuerza is easily one of the coolest new characters that’s been introduced in the Flash in quite some time. It gives me hope that these new users of the Forces of Strength, Sage, and Still might be really interesting. Though, we know that the reincarnation of Turtle is with Grodd in possession of the Still force. That leaves the Sage Force, which almost seems destined to end up with Gemini. I’m really enjoying this Force Quest that The Flash and Iris are on.
This battlefield has turned into something else entirely. I honestly think it’s linked to Justice League Dark and the Otherkind massacring Mount Olympus, the home of the Green Pantheon, who now seem to be invading Earth and doing as they wish. I wasn’t exactly Aphrodite to be the villain here, though. Or is she the villain? That hasn’t quite been explained yet, but it’s surprising nonetheless.

One of the most iconic event series in the history of comic books is officially headed to The CW next year, as the finale of the Elseworlds Arrow-verse crossover concluded with a tease for Crisis on Infinite Earths. In the comics, Crisis on Infinite Earths, written by Marv Wolfman and published in 1985, features a villain known as the Anti-Monitor battling the likes of Superman, Supergirl, and Flash, among others, in an attempt to destroy all life in the Multiverse, that ended when heroes and villains alike across multiple worlds banded together to stop the threat.

The kicker? The event ended with the deaths of Supergirl and The Flash, Barry Allen. The Crisis has been teased since the very first episode of The Flash, so seeing it finally come to fruition is immensely exciting.